Enjikendaasang Learning Centre Book Mobile Program
The Book Mobile project’s goal is to promote reading within our community by providing free access to everyone. The project focuses on improving parents’ literacy, so that parents can in turn support and encourage their children’s literacy (operating under the idea that the Parent is a child’s first teacher).
The program is guided by the Biidaaban Kinoomaagegamik Parent Teacher Advisory Group and Colleen Toulouse, Adult Literacy Instructor at the Enjikendaasang Learning Centre. Funding for the program is through a grant from the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation (3-year project).
The Book Mobile responds to the TRC CTA Education 10: enabling parents to fully participate in the education of their children, while also promoting Indigenous books.
Colleen Toulouse, Enjikendaasang Learning Centre
(705) 865 - 2421 ext. 241
toulouse_colleen@sagamok.ca
4008 Espaniel Street Sagamok Anishnawbek
Initiative Impact
The project is at the early stages, but is building steam, momentum, and community buy-in as we go.
We’ve been present at community events of over 300 people. We are also present in the school for events (e.g. Read-a-thon) and on a regular basis so that parents can come see, access, or return books.
Barriers include having set/restricted hours for library services, and limited transportation. We have overcome this by meeting people where they are – we’re seeing success by going out in the community with the books, instead of them having to come to us.
We also have no deadlines for books, so that you can be free to enjoy it, and get to books when you can.
Meet the client’s needs on a 1-on-1 basis – build their confidence to help them take the next step.
Incorporation of Essential Skills
How we incorporate essential skills (such as reading) follows the Ontario Adult Literacy Framework. This framework outlines milestones, objectives, and competencies of adult literacy.
We organized a preview of the movie Smoke Signals, and looked at movie comprehension as literacy – wanted to be able to extract information about the movie and its characters.
Different programs at the centre can prepare or feed into each other – encouraging literacy through the Book Mobile can lead to participation in other programs (e.g. employment readiness, individual instruction for Elders on how to use Facebook, or online learning that can be done at their own pace).
Project Components
The Book Mobile has a collection of Indigenous books written by Indigenous authors (i.e., Richard Wagamese, Tanya Talaga, Eden Robinson, Lisa Charleyboy). We also host a reading club with Elders.
Outreach partnerships with other agencies – e.g. Ontario Works (collaborates with Enjikendaasang Learning Centre for hosting G1 tests)